£30,000 damages for composer of 007 theme tune

THE composer Monty Norman was awarded £30,000 in libel damages yesterday over a newspaper article that claimed he had wrongly taken credit for composing the James Bond Theme.

Mr Norman, 72, whose work for stage and screen earned him a number of awards, sued the Sunday Times for a story published in October 1997 which he said had denigrated his career. The article claimed that the instantly recognisable 007 theme was the work of John Barry, who had been called in to rescue the project in 1962 when Mr Norman suffered a failure of inspiration in the run-up to the first Bond film, Dr No.

But yesterday a jury at the High Court in London found that the work did indeed belong to Mr Norman. In addition to the damages, the newspaper faces estimated costs in excess of £500,000. Following the hearing, Mr Norman said: "The Sunday Times always said that they were only interested in the truth. Now they've got the truth."

Mr Norman, from Maida Vale, west London, has the work registered under his name with the Performing Rights Society and has always received the royalties.

During his evidence the composer, whose works include the scores for Expresso Bongo, Irma La Douce, Songbook and Poppy, said: "It was a scurrilous and slovenly researched article that rubbished my whole career, and said that the piece of music that I was best known for I hadn't written.

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"Apparently, John Barry had written that. It meant I had stolen it and been receiving for 40 years royalties that did not belong to me." Mr Barry, 67, the winner of five Oscars, with credits including the scores for Born Free and Midnight Cowboy, appeared as the main witness for the Sunday Times.

During evidence, he recalled how he had been approached by Noel Rogers, head of music at United Artists, and told that Harry Saltzman and Cubby Broccoli, the producers of Dr No, were unhappy with Mr Norman's progress.

Mr Barry said that when Mr Norman had been informed that a younger man was being brought in to overhaul the theme, he said: "Go ahead, I'm not proud." The deal for Mr Barry involved a flat fee of £250 combined with the promise of involvement in future Bond movies if Dr No was a success. However, Mr Norman would receive the credit because that was his contractual right.

In the event, the James Bond Theme was performed by his group, the John Barry Seven, and the John Barry Orchestra - its riff provided by the twangy guitar of Barry's lead guitarist, Vic Flick. Bond did indeed take off and Mr Barry went on to become the composer of choice for the series.

However, Mr Norman disputed his fellow composer's version of events. "At that stage, I had already had five major musicals. I had also worked on five major cast albums and two films. I was riding high and there was absolutely no reason to give up any part of my own baby to anyone."

Mr Barry was not in court for the verdict, and was believed to be back at his home near New York. Despite their differences, both can be grateful for Ian Fleming's creation.

But a thought should perhaps be spared for Vic Flick, whose guitar will forever be associated with Bond. His fee: £7 10s.